The present invention relates to an apparatus for use in connection with children's interlocking building blocks. More particularly, the present invention relates to a combination of a storage container and play table for use in connection with children's interlocking building blocks.
Interlocking building blocks of the type sold under the trademarks TYCO, DUPLO, LEGO, and TANDEM have for many years been a popular children's toy. Because such blocks are excellent teaching tools, it is desirable to encourage children to play with them, and to that end, a product has been sold under the mark TABLE TOYS since 1989 which is intended to provide such encouragement. That product comprises a table having plates inset into the top thereof having projections for interdigitating with such building blocks molded therein so that the children are encouraged to erect various structures on the table top with those blocks, using the projections on the plates of these tables to stabilize the structure on the table. Of course such blocks also have a habit of disappearing and/or constantly being under foot, and so the product sold under the mark TABLE TOYS is provided with a cutout in the center of the table surface having a bag attached to the table underneath that cutout for storing the interlocking building blocks. This product has enjoyed considerable success and acceptance in the marketplace.
However, the product sold under the mark TABLE TOYS is not portable in the sense that it is not easily transportable from place to place. Nevertheless, children can be entertained for hours with such interlocking building blocks such that it is desirable to provide a combination play table and storage container for the building blocks which is easily transportable and which can, for instance, be easily erected to form a play table for use in an automobile, in a room other than the room in which the TABLE TOYS play table described in the preceding paragraph may be used, or in any other location. It is this need to which the apparatus of the present invention is directed.
Specifically, an object of the present invention is to provide a combination storage container and play table for interlocking building blocks. It is another object of the present invention to provide such a storage container and play table which can be erected to form a table having a top surface on which the blocks are played with.
Other objects, and the advantages of the present invention, will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the presently preferred embodiment thereof.